ATD sighting

[Tore Rye Andersen]

>From: Steven <mcquaryq at comcast.net>
>To: Tore Rye Andersen <torerye at hotmail.com>
>CC: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Re: ATD sighting
>Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 10:08:56 -0400
>
>
>On Oct 24, 2006, at 4:28 AM, Tore Rye Andersen wrote:
>
>>This final section heading strengthens the impression that Pynchon  is 
>>saying goodbye with this novel.
>

>Couldn't it be an au revoir to the book in hand?  What esp. makes  you 
>think it's a career finale?

>Steven

You're right of course. The final part of MD was called "Last Transit", 
after all, and I certainly may be over-interpreting. The conjunction of the 
following factors, however, led me to my guess - and it is nothing more than 
a guess, mind:

1) The first line of the novel - "Now single up all lines" - indicates that 
this is a work in which Pynchon gathers up the threads from his previous 
novels, perhaps even more than normal (We now know that the Traverse family 
from Vineland will reappear, alongside with a ship called 'Inconvenience' 
(cf. MD), Bodine (of course), etc.) AtD is chronologically situated between 
MD and GR, Vineland and Lot 49, and kind of congruent with V., so it would 
seem to be an obvious novel in which to single up the lines from the 
previous novels and balance the account, so to speak. That first line alone 
made me think of a final bow from Pynchon. And in conjunction with:

2) the final section heading - Rue du Départ - this impression of a 
departure was reinforced.

3) Pynchon will soon turn 70, and even though he is probably a sprightly 70, 
I suspect that it takes something out of a man to write huge novels like GR, 
MD and AtD. I would be very surprised, at any rate, if another monster like 
that should appear in a decade. He probably worked on AtD concurrently with 
MD, but it doesn't seem likely that he has simultaneously been working on a 
THIRD meganovel. Also, few authors really produce top-notch work once 
they're past 70. Philip Roth is one of those rare authors who've really hit 
a streak late in life, and I also have very high expectations for AtD, but I 
also think that Pynchon is aware that his work so far has been pretty 
unique, and that it would detract somewhat from the complete works if he 
should write one novel too many, too late. So far there is not a dud in the 
Pynchon oeuvre, IMO, and I suspect that Pynchon is very aware of this fact 
(despite his repeated critique of Lot 49).

So in short: It would make perfect sense if Pynchon should deliberately 
choose to go out with a bang, not a whimper, and AtD promises to be one hell 
of a bang, complete with Tunguska Explosion etc. I'm not saying he will 
retire completely, and he will probably continue writing the occasional 
essay or introduction - and who knows, perhaps even a short story or a 
novella? - but I still find it likely that AtD will be his last novel. 
There, I said it again, and now I invite you all to dig up this old post in 
12 years, upon the publication of the brilliant 800-pages 'The Japanese 
Insurance-Adjustor', and laugh your asses off.

Best,

Tore

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